The Irony of Witchcraft
by angelsunwalkerandkissingfish
Summary: Two friends cast a spell to help a classmate from school, but when it backfires, they wind up in another world completely,Now how are they going to get home, school was hard enough! A series not a Xover, pls review. TEMPORARY hiatus due to loss of co writer. Story will resume when issues are handled Please view profile for more information
1. Chapter 1

**A Spell goes Amiss and a Journey Begins**

The rain fell onto the window pane smashing into several transparent spheres. The girls emerald eyes wandered to her best friend. The second girl's grayish eyes met the other. They were peculiar, and at times foreign, they were green, but like hazel, seemed to change color depending on the light source. Those eyes held many colors; unlike the other girl's, whose eyes only held the spectrums of blue and green. The second girl looked up and bit the bottom of her lip, a worried expression crossed her face as she tucked her blond hair, the under layer colored black, behind her ear, "Amber, are you sure you should be doing this? You just picked up a magic book a few days ago, and what happened to never use gray magic?" The first girl, Amber beamed slightly. Her golden hair was slightly darker, and slightly shorter. While the second's reached past her shoulder blades to the middle of her back in golden curls, Amber's hair barely touched past her shoulders. And her skin, even though it was fair, was not as pale as the second's.

"Come on Sindey Lou Who," the second one, Synthia, cringed at the unwanted nickname, "what's gonna happen, get sucked in the T.V.? I don't think that's possible, even with magic." An exasperated sigh slipped through the second's lips. She wasn't winning, Amber wanted to help, and once Amber's mind was made up, Amber didn't stop, well, except for life and death situations, or peanut butter cups.

"But why, why now?" Sindey pleaded, as Amber shrugged her shoulders. Her expression softened as she placed down the red candle.

"I dunno, I feel like I have to do something, I mean, Jeremy has always had trouble, and—"

"You think you can help," Amber stared at her friend from the hard ground she sat on. A small black and furry creature rubbed against Sindey's legs.

_Meow_

Amber's eyes followed the cat as its owner gingerly picked it up and stroked it behind the ear. Afterward her hand clasped something on its back. "Uh Amber, Jimmy found Bob." The first girl's hand extended to receive the oversized spider that Sindey's cat had "found".

"My hello Bob, you look bigger today. Have you been snacking on the fish in the aquarium?" Sindey smirked behind her.

"I'm sure he has, just one problem, you don't have an aquarium."

"Maybe she's been snacking in yours- except you don't have one either." The second girl stared then scoffed.

"Perhaps Bob has been snacking on Mr. Harrison's suicidal fish."

"The fish that jump out of his tank and onto the floor?"

"Yeah those," Sindey nodded enthusiastically and she grinned and attempted to refrain from laughing.

"Oh, fine, Bob no more eating suicidal fish. I don't think they would make good antidepressants." She scolded her familiar as she placed him on her shoulder. After which, she stood up and admired her work. The spell had been written, and the altar had been set. Now all that was needed was to recite the spell. Jeremy's luck was about to turn around. Her friend stepped hesitantly toward her.

"You sure about this," Amber nodded reassuringly and smiled.

"The worst that could happen is making things worse, and I don't think they could get much worse. All he needs is a little good karma. Besides, both of us reviewed the spell ten times, there are no visible loop holes, so nothing unexpected should occur." Synthia gazed into Amber's eyes, she sensed the concern. It wasn't very difficult. Amber always rambled and dwelled when she worried, as if trying to convince her own mind everything was alright. She watched her friend bite her lip, "Sindey, if you don't want to, you don't have to. I just thought I would try to change his luck, that's all." As a response, Sindey shook her head.

"No, you're right. It shouldn't hurt."

And together they recited the spell

_From Earth, to wind_

_To water, to fire_

_We summon this deity_

_For a treasured desire_

_This person is hurting and, we hope to fix_

_To help, to heal, and for them to accomplish_

_A wanted dream_

_So we ask you now, and seek your help_

_To help the one named—_

A bolt of lightning streamed through the sky, followed by a large _crack_ of thunder. Amber's focus disappeared as Sindey screamed in terror, both were caught off guard. The older girl, Amber, buckled over in a fit of giggles, "you should have seen your face," as she mimicked an exaggerated expression of her best friend with bulging eyes and an open mouth. Sindey chuckled a little and held her hands out again.

"From the top?"

Amber nodded and reached out her hands, however, they lingered over her friend's. Something wasn't right. The room began to spin and images blurred together. Light began to be emitted from the walls and furniture. A lump formed in the girls' throat. The magic had already activated and began to take effect. It was strange and irregular, no spell had ever done this before; why was it starting now? A dark and ominous circle formed beneath their feet. The two friends gazed into the abyss with shock and panic. Synthia heard Amber's voice. It was soft and seemed distant, and full of fright, "What's happening?" It wasn't directed toward Sindey, more like to an unknown source, but all the younger friend could do was shake her head in confusion.

The light began to grow and become stronger. Both girls were forced to close their eyes. Wind surrounded them and circled the room as if it was a contained hurricane. And as quickly as it begun, it stopped.

_**Case Closed/Detective Conan**_

Cool water droplets fell on her head and rolled off her body. She felt her emerald eyes begin to open. Her mouth dropped and she gawked at the night sky. As if in a trance, her hands rose and allowed the rain to splash onto her palms. "_Rain?"_

It seemed as if this small part in nature was a foreign concept. "_I'm outside? But how did I?"_ Her head moved back and forth, as if in a daze. "_If I'm here, where's Sindey?" _Panic spread across her face, but unknown to the teenager, it was a child's face. The lump in her throat began to swell, "Sindey?" She felt the acid churn in her stomach as she called. "Sindey?" She felt disconnected, separated from the world. Her feet began to act by themselves. At first, they carried her in a steady walk before gathering speed and sprinting through the town. "Sindey?" she called again, over and over. Her voice began to crack more after each call. Hot tears formed in her eyes, and bile threatened to surface in her mouth.

If anything had happened to her friend, it was her fault. Sindey _couldn't_ be gone, Sindey _was_ family; Sindey had been her little sister since the third grade. She was one of the few friends Amber would consider to be family.

Amber felt something slide under her feet. The earth where she had stepped was slick from that evening's rain. Her body seemed to fly into the air as she toppled head first down a hill. Her arms flailed trying to catch anything that would make her regain control. A few moments later, she felt a sharp pain in her skull. The world seemed to cloud over, and the teenager lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Houston, We have a Slight Problem; Okay a big Problem**

She felt a soft bed and warm sheets around her and as she returned to her conscious state. Soft murmurs and intangible words seemed to surround her as her eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the light of the room. Something was wrong, yet she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

The girl's legs and arms flexed to allow her to sit up against the wall as her pillow acted as a cushion. Amber stared; the room she was in was in a hospital. Her hands moved up to the bandage around her head. The soft gauze concealed a large bump, _"Probably where I hit my head last night." _She thought, as her brain began to process the information. Yet, her head felt unusually heavy. She allowed her fingers to trace her bangs which, as usual, parted and fell halfway down her cheek. The girl allowed her hand to follow her hairline down. Her index finger pulled a lock of gold foreword, accept this strand would have came just above Amber's waist, if it had been in its proper place. _"Long hair? But, I haven't had long hair since I was a kid." _ The strands of hair slipped past her fingers as she examined her hands. They were smaller, softer, the hands of a child. She starred, dumbfounded by this occurrence, and if not for the throbbing on the side of her head, would have blamed it on a dream.

A soft click echoed through the room as the door opened. Her eyes followed the sound and settled on two men. One was short and on the heavy side while the second was lean and tall. All the color and warmth drained from her face before squealing and falling off the bed. Luckily, the men were too engaged in their argument to listen.

The shorter of the two spoke first, "Well, what do you think Mr. Moore?" The second scratched the back of his head; an uncaring and lazy expression crossed his face.

"Well, I don't know, what am I _supposed _to think? It's just another brat with a bump. I really couldn't care less… Why am I here again?"

"Mr. Moore! Stop acting like a brat, you baby, and focus on the reason that _she's_ here. Someone finds her in the middle of the night, brings her to us, and you don't think there's anything suspicious about that?" The irritation was growing in his voice. This was apparently not the first time they had this conversation, or a similar one to it. The second one, Detective Moore, shrugged nonchalantly.

"Heh? No, kids' runaway all the time," as he made this comment, Amber pushed herself against the wall and slowly edge toward the door. _"A T.V. show, another world?"_ She turned the cool metal of the door handle as she slipped out and dashed down the hall. _"What the hell am I doing here, more importantly, how did I get here?" _ She couldn't fathom it; this was supposed to be impossible. The voice from the shorter man, Inspector McGuire as she recalled, carried through the hall.

"Richard, you half-wit! Wake up already, would you? We're on to something and all you do is brush it off!"

The youngest one shook his head at the detective's idiocy. His dark, chocolate brown hair brushed lightly across his face and over his aqua eyes. The child, Conan Edogawa, also known as Jimmy Kudo, processed the information in his head. Something was up with this girl but he couldn't figure out wha—hey! The girl had slipped out of the room, undetected by the adults' bickering. He followed her calling out, ""Hey! Girl, where are you going? Aren't you hurt?" The blond stopped and muttered something that sounded similar to "busted," yet it was so quiet, Jimmy couldn't be certain if he heard it correctly or not. Afterward, the child turned around waving.

"No, I'm okay, bye,"

The boy stared, as if trying to decipher the child. She was abnormal and bizarre, whether it was a result from her injury or not; the boy wasn't sure. His gaze followed the blonde's movements as she ran down the hallway. _"Why would a girl be—Hey! She's ditching!" _The truth hit the detective like a ton of bricks. As he was standing and contemplating the girl's actions, she had taken advantage of the opportunity to slip away, almost undetected. "Ugh," Instinctively, Jimmy's feet began to move at steady sprint while he attempted to head the child off, "Hey wait."

Rachel, noticing "Conan's" dash through the hall, called after him, but the young boy ignored her as he continued to chase Amber. The teenage brunette called once again in a useless attempt to insure authority. A discouraged look crossed her face as she realized that she would have to follow him. Rachel Moore moaned as she exited the room, beginning to follow the boy she was responsible for.

But, Jimmy Kudo had a significant head start. Conan called after the blonde, trying to stop her, yet his attempts were futile as she quickened her pace, reluctantly, Jimmy Kudo noticed that if he wanted the child to stop, he was going to have to force her. As a last resort, he flipped the top of his watch up, aiming, then pushing in the sides. A thin silver needle shot through the air, hitting the girl in the back of the neck. Gradually, her speed began to descend as she collapsed on the ground. In the back of Jimmy's mind, he praised himself for hitting his target, and then "prayed" that the child wasn't _too _upset with him. After all, he would be pretty angry if someone had shot him with a tranquilizer. Yet, unknown to the detective, the blonde had realized when the needle pierced through her skin. And, her last thoughts were cussing the tranquilizer and forcing her feet to continue moving.

Conan moved steadily toward the child; then bent down to pick her up. He chuckled and shook his head in remembrance at the child's strange reaction as he cradled her petite frame; the single word that projected into his mind was _"Kids," _then putting on his child like face, called for assistance from his guardian.

"Rachel, Rachel help!" She ran around the corner, her pace slowing as she approached the young boy, who held a small child in his arms, "I knew she was hurt and I tried to stop her and all out of nowhere she slowed down and hit the floor." Rachel bent over in order to take the girl from Conan.

"So that's why you took off down the hall,"

"Yeah! That's why," the boy responded as he followed Rachel back to the room. After she had replaced the blond in the hospital bed, she turned and directed her attention to the bickering inspectors. Her face was serious and her voice could be projected to the next county.

"Are you two crazy? Stop arguing and start paying attention to more than just yourselves!" As usual, Detective Moore turned around clueless.

"What?"

"SHE COULD HAVE GOTTEN SERIOUSLY HURT!" The inspector and the detective exchanged confused looks. The child was asleep, wasn't she?

"How? She's been in here with us the entire time,"

"Okay, then who was _that_ running down the hall? Ugh! You're lucky that Conan noticed her or she— well, something really bad might have happened!" Apparently the response that Rachel's father had given wasn't sufficient for her. The man's hands rose up defensively, trying to ward off his child's attack.

"We would have noticed it sooner or later,"

"What happened to the sooner?"

"Like I said sooner or _later,"_ Detective Moore laughed nervously as his daughter glared at him, furious at his irresponsible behavior. She looked as if she was ready to murder her father within seconds. Conan chuckled, admiring the show. Unfortunately, Detective Moore had overheard him, and it wasn't long until the man's fist collided with Jimmy's head as he growled, "What are _you_ laughing at, you little brat?"

"Father!"

"That little snot was laughing at me," The adult held his hands up in defense, responding similar to how a child would say, "_He started it." _Rachel threw her arms up in exasperation; her father could be so difficult at times.

"Oh yeah, Dad, Conan's really laughing his head off. He's in fits of giggles, just mocking Detective Moore," she rolled her eyes before they returned to her father, glaring. He was so immature, and sometimes she questioned whether, between Conan and Detective Moore, which one was better behaved. "Come on, Dad. I really think Little Conan's got better things to do."

"Then why is he here?"

"I just love watching you solve these cases, it's amazing what a great detective you are." Detective Moore muttered something under his breath, but even though Jimmy couldn't hear it, Rachel did. Perturbed, her fingers pinched the end of her father's ear as she yanked forcefully.

"I heard that." The adult whined like a beaten dog, begging his teenage daughter to release him. Inspector McGuire cast a concerned look to the bickering family.

"Can we just focus on the case?"

"Like what?"

"Like what we're going to do with her," Inspector McGuire stared at Detective Moore, as if in disbelief. Was it really possible for a person to be this dense? As always, the detective shrugged off the question as if he were deciding what he wanted for lunch.

"Oh, just send her home already." The Inspector shook his head, his frustration rising.

"We don't know where that _is_, Moore- and if she doesn't know either, _then __**we're**_ in trouble,"

"Well that's just stupid, why wouldn't she know?"

"Because, you knucklehead. Can't you see the huge lump on her head under the bandage? We're afraid she might have taken some serious cerebral damage. She might not have a clue, and to only prove more that she's not in any good condition, from the sounds of what your daughter said, she wandered off and lost consciousness," Jimmy Kudo stared at the adults; he smirked, knowing that they didn't know _half_ of the story.

As the drug wore off the blonde began to come out of her unconsciousness, _again_. The muttering became clearer at the seconds past and her ears began to adjust to the sounds around her.

"Hmm- Maybe you're right Inspector- Maybe we _do_ have a case or something on our hands," He allowed his shoulders to rise then fall back to their normal position as a sigh escaped his mouth. "Eh- who knows? But, I _do_ know that _I_ want to go home and sleep, we've just been standing around here for her for two days now," She felt the acid in her stomach threatening to surface again.

_"TWO DAYS—Hey, cool, I'm awake. Wait a second, two days—I've been out for TWO FREAKIN DAYS?" _The scream echoed in her brain as her body propelled her into a sitting position, _"How? When? Why? What the hell? What the hell? What the hell? No! No! No! This is not supposed to happen!" _Her fingers began to fidget as the panic rose. This was wrong, on so many levels. She was in a T.V. show, or another world, or wherever she was. On top of everything, she was a child again, and short-er, how does that work, you age up not down! And, now she had nowhere to go. But, she had to calm down, if she didn't, she wasn't doing anybody any good, including herself. Acknowledging this, Amber forced her lungs to open to allow them to fill with air and calm her nerves. All she needed was a plan; at least some idea of what she could do.

"Oh! Look Conan! She's awake!" Rachel and Conan walked toward the bed taking interest toward the young child who just awoke. Her deep green eyes met the boy's blue as she turned her head to face him. The boy, Conan, smiled, and it appeared genuine.

"So, what's your name little girl?"

She felt the vein pop in her head. _"Little? You ain't much taller then me pipsqueak!" _Again, she inhaled to force herself to control her temper while debating to give them her entire name or an alias. Then again, if they were asking for her name, maybe she could use it toward her advantage. If she claimed that she didn't remember anything, then she would be guaranteed a home, and the story would fit because of the large bump she had acquired, "Uh, Amber."

"Oh, well that's cool- where did you come from?" He was obviously trying to get the case moving, probably because Detective Moore wasn't paying attention to anything else but himself.

"Umm," The girl looked thoughtful as she lifted her eyes to the ceiling. Shortly after, her hand grabbed the side of her head, as if a sharp pain had shot through her skull, "Ow."

A concerned look crossed Jimmy Kudo's face, "Are you okay? What happened to your head? Did you fall," This was not good, if she couldn't remember anything the entire investigation was at risk.

"Umm," The blond, Amber, stared at him, and then shrugged, "I dunno."

"_That's_ okay," She stared at Conan's expression. He was obviously worried or disappointed; it was difficult to read his face exactly. However, Amber was sure that he did not believe everything was alright. Yet, he smiled and acted as if it wasn't important. "Can you remember anything?" At first, she stared at him, as if the answer lay in his face, before shaking her head.

"Mm-mm," Her green eyes fell as she began to examine her hands and swing her legs back and forth. He was concerned, she could sense it. Taking into consideration of what he had been through, he was probably worried about the men in black that fed him the poison to begin with. For all he knew she may have had something to do with them, or at least be a witness, and if that wasn't the case, if this was a "real" investigation she could have been the only link.

As she processed this information her foot collided with Conan's back. It wasn't very hard, but it got his attention, "Oops, sorry. Hey, are you okay? You seem pretty worried?"

"No, I'm alright," He gave an encouraging smile, but Amber saw through his deception. Jimmy was apprehensive and not sure what to do. The guilt gnawed at her heart. Disappointment was not something she dealt well with, especially if it was someone else, and if she could see it. She contemplated her next action in her mind for a few minutes.

"Wait- It was raining yesterday," at first, the detective seemed puzzled, but then began to register what the comment meant.

"Oh, you mean _before_ you fell asleep? That was almost three days ago now."

"THREE DAYS?" Amber felt the sharp intake of breath, earlier they said two. Then again, they mentioned that they had been waiting around two days. It was possible that Inspector McGuire called Detective Moore after the first day.

"Almost, well, hey at least you remembered something," she watched as his face began to relax. At least she had given him some peace of mind. Her lips curved into a relaxed smiled as Detective Moore's voice carried through the room.

"Hey what are you about—Oh look the little brat's awake, can I go home now?" She observed the inspector as he walked toward her. As he did this, Rachel moved to the other side of the room so that she wouldn't get in the way.

"That depends if she remembers anything." She felt the soft material from his glove on the side of her head as his large hand gingerly examined the bump. Amber winced and pulled away from him as the fingers settled on an area where the skull was still tender. The center hadn't completely healed yet.

"Well she said it was raining yesterday, but she means when she fell asleep; her name's Amber," The inspector shook his head, less than thrilled at Conan's response.

"Well that's no good. We need a last name in order to get an ID. But, at least she knows who she is, maybe there's a little hope." He grinned before turning his attention to the detective, "But, don't get too excited, Moore, the damage _may be_ permanent." Detective Moore cast a worried look. He had a bad feeling that the next thing he heard, he wouldn't like. Amber smiled; she knew her entire name, Amber Amora Collins, but if the adults knew that, they would have a lot of questions, questions that _she_ didn't even know the answers to. So, she allowed the adults to continue.

"So what are _we _going to do with her now?" Detective Moore whined. He really didn't want _another _child to care for, yet, judging by what Inspector McGuire was inquiring, might be where the discussion was headed.

"Well, you're the detective, Moore. This might mean she's going to have to stay with you until I or we or _you_ figure it out," He exhaled, as if all of the problems in the room would disappear with the toxins in his body. "Jimmy Kudo, where are you? You never complained like this moron does."

"WHAT? Who needs that guy anyway?" The man practically screamed the response; which was followed by his traditional laugh.

_"God, was it possible for someone to have such an obnoxious laugh." _Amber shook her head clearly annoyed, but she remained quiet as he continued.

"There's a new sheriff in town, and his name Detective Richard Moore! You got that? Nobody needs that cocky brat now that you have ME!" Amber looked at Inspector McGuire. By the looks of things, Moore wouldn't even have the job if Kudo hadn't gone missing.

"So are you taking her or what, Moore?"

"Of COURSE I'm taking her! You think I'd let that Kudo brat look better than me? No sir! I'll be glad to take her!" His hand wrapped tightly around her arm. As he hoisted her up she practically flew out of the bed. This was followed by him attempting to drag her across the room.

"Dad, knock it off!" Rachel exclaimed, furious at her father. After he had finally stopped trying to dislocate Amber's shoulder from its socket, Rachel held her arms out, "come here sweetie."

Amber gapped, _"Swe—Sweetie?"_ Her head turned between the two, belittlement, or abuse from an idiot. She considered her options for a moment before settling on the belittlement, after all, it was safer. Whining like a child, she ran into Rachel's arms, who, in return began to stroke her hair and comfort the young "child."

"See it's okay, don't be scared. It'll be alright, you'll see," After, the teenage girl turned to her father; she grabbed his ear as she muttered through clenched teeth, "See dad? She's not just some doll! She's a child! And if you don't start being considerate instead of arrogant, I swear I'll rip that ear right off your head!"

_"Oh, just shoot me now," _Amber screamed through her mind. Why did this have to happen to her? Detective Moore looked at the group, he was ready to leave and the sooner he got home, the sooner he could sleep the events of the day away.

"Alright, let's go," He opened the door as Rachel stood up and grabbed Amber's hand. Conan followed close behind; she starred at the boy, a touch annoyance rose into her thoughts. How was it that even when they were in another world, she remained at least an inch shorter from one of the smallest guys there!


	3. Chapter 3

**I want my Kitty, I want my Jimmy**

The footsteps seemed to echo through the hallway. Rachel lead Amber down the hall as the blond pondered the dilemma in her mind. What could have brought her to this world, this was supposed to be impossible, and yet here she was. The events of the day replayed in slow motion in her mind, yet the week seemed to follow the same routine as it always did- except, _"The spell!" _They had stopped speaking when the lightning struck and didn't finish. What if that was why the magic backfired, but if that was the case, where was Sindey? As they exited the building a shrill shriek pulled her away from her thoughts.

"NO! Let me go!" She stared at the young child; her short blond hair came past her shoulders and was pulled back with a thick blue headband. A woman pulled the girl's wrist attempting to drag her inside as the child continued to cry and screech, "NOOOOOOOO! NOOOOO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!" Amber stared at the girl as Rachel opened the door of the car. The child's hysterical sobs were muffled as the door shut. "I don't want to be here! I have to go find her! She's lost somewhere! My Kitty! My Jimmy! NOOOOOO!" Amber stared at the scene as the car began to move forward. The child and woman began to fade away as the vehicle moved down the street.

The images passed in blurred fragments as the car progressed down the highway. "Oh that poor girl-"

Conan rolled his eyes at Rachel's comment as Amber's eyes traced the scenery while pondering the scene in front of the hospital. Something didn't seem to sit right and the feeling lingered on the edge of her brain. _My Kitty? _Why address the cat with two individual names? But if that was Sindey- a memory tugged at the back of the blonde's mind.

"_Amber, knock it off!"_

"_Amber, knock it off!" _The older blonde stomped her foot to mimic the other's actions completely. Both were young, probably in the third grade, eight at the oldest. The younger, Sindey, brushed a golden ringlet behind her ear, the type that spiraled down like the springs of the bed and fell loosely on her shoulders.

"_Look here copy cat, this isn't funny!" _

"_I think it's hilarious," _Sindey turned to face the direction of the voice, while Amber continued to mimic her words and movements. The boy gave a wide grin to the girls as his raven black hair fell lightly across his face.

"_Shut up Allan!"_

"_Hey look on the Brightside; she's not acting like a total idiot around you anymore," _Sindey glared at her friends. The second blonde grinned widely and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"_Yeah, remember yesterday, you thought I was a total moron, now look at us."_

"_And, that's a step up?" The _boy nodded as he slung his arm around Sindey's shoulder.

"_Come on, yesterday you couldn't even have a decent conversation with her. Now, she's actually mocking you, and in under a week, that's a new record for her. Well, except for me." _Amber stomped her foot indignantly while placing her hands on her hips.

"_You don't count Allan,"_

"_Why not?"_

"'_Cause I grew up with you,"_

"_So?" _Allan shrugged as Amber rolled her eyes. Sindey made her way into the middle of the two companions before they started killing each other. She looked at Amber confused.

"_So, we're friends now?" _The older blond stared before beaming and nodding her head.

"_Yeah, we're friends now," _Sindey giggled.

"_Fine, but since you played that little copy cat stunt, you've earned yourself a new nickname,"_

"_What?"_

"_From now on, you'll be Kitty Kat, with a 'K',"_

"_Why a 'K'," _Allan shared a baffled expression with Amber before Sindey continued. As she did, her hand came down onto Amber's hair, ruffling it gently but being careful not to get too many tangles in the strands of gold.

"_An unusual spelling for an unusual girl,"_

"_Kitty Kat? I like it." _The boy nodded his approval toward his friend's new nickname.

She gazed blankly out the window while bringing herself back to present day. Was it possible that the child could be Sindey? She could have been using her nickname Kitty to address Amber, and she had a cat named Jimmy, so was it possible that the child outside the hospital could have been her friend? "Aren't we going to help her?"

"No, we don't solve cases for lost cats," Detective Moore responded. Amber scowled, crossing her arms in frustration. How was she supposed to find her friend if Detective Moron wasn't willing to meet her halfway, whether he knew it or not? The blonde exhaled slowly, weighing her options. She would have to convince him someway or another. So, how was she going to do that without blowing her cover? An idea struck her as an innocent smile crossed her face and her eyes brightened, as if she had found a new idol.

"But, you're a great detective aren't you; I bet you could find it in no time, right?"

"Hmm," The detective considered the statement. The girl's eyes were bright with admiration, his will power began to weaken as he succumbed to the trap, "alright then, I'll help her," Amber's eyes lit up. He had taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. In fact, it was almost too easy. Unfortunately, unknown to the girl, Conan was staring at her from the corner of his eye. Her small act of trickery had clued him in to her _true _intellect. With memory or without it, she was too crafty to be a normal child.

The car pulled back into the parking lot of the hospital. Amber gazed hopefully as they crossed the property and entered the air conditioned room. Her heart sank realizing that the child had left before they could reach her. Detective Moore walked toward the receptionist.

"Excuse me miss, but we're looking for a little blonde girl. She was here earlier throwing a fit, you know," his hand came up, showing an estimate of the girl's height, "about ye high, fat head, and hair." The detective's hands motioned to shoulder length, roughly, before pointing to the top of his head, "and a hair thingy." The receptionist stared for a moment, contemplating before shaking her head gently and shrugging.

"My shift started about thirty minutes ago. There were no screaming children here," A look of disappointment crossed the detective's face. "I'm terribly sorry."

The man grumbled under his breath obviously not content with the lack of information that the receptionist had given him, "Well, alright, thanks anyway."

Richard Moore glared at the young blonde as the group reentered the car. "What a waste of time! You little brat, if you hadn't opened your mouth I could have been home sleeping already."

"Dad, don't get mad at her!" His daughter reprimanded him furiously. Conan grinned understanding the detective's perspective. After all, Richard did know that the girl had gotten what she wanted, it was almost funny. Conan's gaze turned toward the child.

He watched as the girl shrunk back into the corner, tears forming in her bright eyes. She stuttered trying to form the words in her mouth, "B-but, w-what did I do?" The water seemed to flood into her eyes. Rachel cast a deadly glare at her father, who merely responded with an innocent and defensive whine.

"What, it's her fault,"

"Well, you didn't have to listen to her," the teenager retorted furiously. Her father pouted, perturbed with his daughter's lack of understanding.

"That's my point, she manipulated me."

"Oh yeah, Dad, I'm sure," Rachel rolled her eyes, annoyed. Honestly, that girl was a child, how could her father ever consider the possibility that an eight year old could outsmart a full grown adult?

The second car ride back seemed considerably longer than the first. The car dragged into the parking lot as they entered the apartment complex. Rachel gave a warm smile as the group exited the car for the second time that day. The teenager led the children and her father up the stairs and into the apartment dorm.

"Ah, finally," she exhaled and allowed the tension to drain from her body as she walked through the doorway. Rachel smiled before turning to Conan, "it's good to be home, don't you think, Conan?" The boy returned the smile, and Amber could swear that his cheeks had turned a little pinker than usual. He laughed nervously.

"Yeah, sure," he paused as if debating his next action before responding again, "I think I'm gonna head over to Dr. Agasa's for a little while though, I want to see if he knows anything about how my parents are doing, if that's okay with _you _of course."

"Okay, sure, I don't see why not," Detective Moore's daughter nodded in understanding and agreement, before turning and acknowledging the second child in the room, the blond. No one in the room knew much about the little girl they had found three days ago. It would be good for her to have a friend, or someone her age to relate to. Rachel's face lit up as an idea struck her. "Hey, why don't you take Amber with you?"

"Eh," both of the brunettes turned to the child that remained in the doorway, as if waiting to be invited in. Amber's green eyes looked up and shifted between the two, in response to hearing her name called. She could read their faces. Rachel's held pure innocence with pride behind her "genius" idea, Conan's, on the other hand, seemed nervous and hesitant; he was obviously less than thrilled at Rachel's suggestion. "I'd rather not."

"Oh, okay, I'll let you go then," Rachel's face fell; obviously "no" was not the response she was planning on. Conan turned back to Amber, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Maybe next time though, okay?"

"Kay," She nodded, returning his gaze, as if she were alright yet, she was resisting the urge to cling to his leg and beg not to be left alone. It was funny, because Amber had always enjoyed Jimmy's character in the show, but now she felt a deep disdain toward him. Of course, he was leaving her alone, with Rachel…and Richard. A guilty expression crossed Conan's face; well at least she was making him feel bad.

The blond watched the boy as he passed her, leaving the apartment complex. Green eyes followed him down the hallway as he walked away—leaving her—alone—with them.

Amber's face turned as she felt a warm hand being placed on her shoulder. Rachel stood there, smiling as always. "So, you hungry, what'd you say we cook something up?" The blond suppressed a scoff. Of course, she _had_ to be perky around kids. Amber nodded, following Rachel into the kitchen, during which she debated where she was safer, outside on the streets, or inside with these two nut jobs.

The soccer ball bounced off of the boy's head as he pondered the situation in his mind. He had been at the professor's house for a while now and had already enlightened Doctor Agasa of the blond, of Amber. After listening carefully to the Conan's explanation both of them began to question the integrity of the girl's story. And it wasn't just her story that confused Jimmy Kudo, but also the way she acted, spoke, and interacted with others.

"She's so-o weird, she's been more intellectual than a regular kid—well at least so far." The ball slid down Jimmy Kudo's back as he allowed it to bounce between his feet. The Doctor rubbed the gray whiskers on his chin thoughtfully, considering what the boy was telling him.

"She's sounding verrry intresting so far Jimmy, from vat you are telling me, it seems you are hoping she is more zan just a little girl vis a bump, ja?"

"Well yeah, I mean, what if she has something to do with those men in black and even if she isn't, she could be related to another case that the police haven't uncovered yet." His eyebrows creased as he thought, "I can't let her slip away until I find out, and what's worse is that she has amnesia."

"Hmm, vat? No, she is a liar, Jimmy. If all you tell me is true, she is such a very bad liar, but she fooled you, Jimmy Kudo, and Rachel, and Richard, too-though the last one is no surprise-she is still very good Jimmy, vatch out for her." a concerned expression crossed the doctor's face, the brunette met his gaze and considered Dr. Agasa's theory.

"No way, she's smart, but… I don't know," He sighed looking at the clock. It was getting late and Rachel would want him home soon, "Oh well, I should probably get going now, I don't want Rachel to start getting worried."

"Alright zen, Jimmy. I will see you later den?" Dr. Agasa watched as Conan opened the door.

"Yeah, I'll stop by again tomorrow, Bye!" The door shut behind him as he left the room.

The night air surrounded him. Leaves in the trees whispered in the breeze and seemed to speak to him. In an alleyway a voice echoed calling out to any life form that may be able to hear.

"Jimmy! JIIIIMMMMYYYY! Jiiimmyyy!" The boy stared into the depths of the alley at what seemed to be a girl. She continued to emerge from the darkness that surrounded her, running toward him until the distance closed entirely and they collided with each other. He grunted as he fell on his backside. The girl let out a short scream, almost like a yelp.

"Phew… I'm sorry, here let me help you up," The blond was surprisingly strong for her size. Conan looked at her in shock as the girl easily pulled the boy back up on his feet. "I'm sorry, have you seen my jimmy? I can't seem to find him." She began moving her hands around, "He's about this tall, this wide, and he—hey!" The girl stopped in mid thought staring at the boy before pressing her finger to his nose, "He looks just like you, with brown hair and blue eyes just like that."

Jimmy Kudo's expression shifted from shock to disbelief as he recognized that this girl was the same one as the girl from the hospital that afternoon. How did she get so far in such a short amount of time? And what did she mean by Jimmy? Conan's heart fell into his stomach as the panic spread in his mind. "Uh, eh, no, I—no I haven't seen anyone named Jimmy," He laughed nervously scratching the back of his head, "No way! Not here, not me! No sir!"

The girl stared at him confused. Before her mind seemed to register what he had just said. "OF COURSE NOT!" She giggled at the boy's response, "not some_one, _some_cat, _silly. He just _looks _like you," The detective stared at her in disbelief, and to think that he allowed his paranoia to control his deducing skills so easily. The girl smiled innocently as her greenish gray eyes bore down into his. "Well, thanks anyway,-…ehhh…"

"Conan,"

"Right! Conan! Well thanks anyway Conan. I guess I'm just gonna go keep looking for my Jimmy, I suppose… see you around, Cozak," The girl gave one final smile as she turned to leave. Her blond curls bounced behind her as her figure faded into the darkness of the night. Yet, all the brunette could do was stare and arch his eyebrows at what probably was the most peculiar girl he had ever laid eyes on.

He continued down the pathway, making his way toward home. Up the stairs and through the door, only to hear Moore's voice. Jimmy's blue eyes moved toward the table where Rachel's father appeared to be harassing the poor girl about her memory.

Conan observed the blonde. She seemed to be concentrating, but her face was twisted and contorted as if in pain. The grip around her glass tightened with each question Moore asked until it cracked and sent a cascade of the glittering crystals falling upon the floor.

"Now look what you did!" The man shouted in his frustration and irritation as he attempted to crash his fist into Amber's skull. Instinctively, she ducked and ran behind Conan for some sort of protection. Detective Moore's fist collided with the chair she originally sat in, "Ow! Why you little…"

"Gaaaa! Don't hide behind me," Jimmy let out a short yelp as Amber screamed when Richard used his fist to try to connect with the children's heads once again. Luckily for them, both ducked, causing the man's hand to strike the wall, a forth of an inch above their heads.

Conan cried for Rachel as Amber shrieked, fearing for her life. Both children rushed behind the teenage brunette as she entered the room. She looked furious and sent a deadly expression toward her father, "Dad! I can't even make dinner without you causing trouble! Stop bothering Amber and just leave them alone!"

"BUT…" She ignored her father turning her attention toward the children speaking tenderly and smiling softly,

"Come on you two, let's go in the kitchen and you two can help me out with dinner, okay," Amber and Conan looked at each other before turning to Rachel, grinning and replying in unison.

"Okay Rachel," The blonde looked over her shoulder, her green eyes examining Detective Moore.

"_Oh my God, that guy's scary." _Amber's pace quickened, leaving a fuming man behind. She didn't like him in the show and now that she was experiencing his temper in first person, the character seemed even worse.

A sharp ache interrupted her thoughts. She looked down at her hands that were now shimmering from the broken shards of glass. "Uh Rachel,"

"Hmm?" Amber held her hands up so that the brunette could examine the glittering hands that shone with crimson blood, "AHH! OH NO!" Rachel led the girl to the table, rotating her hands and attempting to figure out what to do as she examined them. Detective Moore's daughter began to remove the larger pieces that were visible in Amber's fair skin, "Some of these cuts are pretty deep, we're gonna have to go down to the clinic," The response seemed to be accompanied with a groan and a sigh.

"Oww," Amber flinched as Rachel gently wrapped the bandages around her bleeding hands.

"Yeah, there's some glass in there too," She exhaled deeply realizing that the girl could become an even greater responsibility than Conan, "What on earth were you thinking?"

"_That I was going to kill him,"_ Amber silently thought, but Rachel need not know that. The brunette stood up, "Okay, Conan, get your shoes back on, let's go," Jimmy Kudo followed her instructions as she hollered toward her father, "Dad! Clean up that glass while we're gone. We'll be back in about an hour or so."

She remained in the back seat of the car, pouting. The bandages were died scarlet. Her hands ached and the drive to the hospital was not what anyone would describe as short. What made it worse was that the doctor had to dig under several layers of skin to remove the shards.

Now that the appointment was over, Amber sat in the back seat, messaging the sorest areas with her finger tips. Conan was beside her, staring out the smooth glass of the window. A girl paced in the middle of a field as if searching for something; her curls blowing in the gentle breeze.

"Wow, she's still looking," His whisper was barely audible, almost silent. The blonde moved closer. Her hair and skin brushed against the side of Conan's cheek as she leaned over his shoulder. He could feel the heat emanating from her flesh. Amber's voice was almost as soft as his, curious and innocent.

"Looking for what?"

"What's that you two?" Rachel asked as she peered at the children through the rear view mirror. Conan turned and spoke louder so that his guardian could hear.

"It's that girl, Rachel,"

"What?" She slammed on the brakes immediately. Amber, who was not wearing a seatbelt, toppled foreword as the momentum flowed from the car into her tiny body. Instinctively, she grabbed the seat in front of her as Jimmy seized the other arm, stabilizing the _child_. Rachel Moore turned to face the children, "From the hospital?"

"Yeah, see?" He pointed outside to where the girl originally was.

"Where? I don't see her," She had followed the direction of his finger, yet when she looked, the girl was nowhere to be found. Amber could see the shock in his eyes as he stared in disbelief.

"She disappeared,"

"Well, don't worry, I guess," Rachel hesitated, staring at the emptiness of the street before them, "I'm sure we'll see her again,"

They drove on. When they returned to the apartment Richard Moore was asleep at his desk, a case of alcohol beside him. Rachel showed Amber the room that she would reside in, and the blonde collapsed from exhaustion. It had been a long day, and, when she thought about it, the journey would be even longer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Meet the Peanut Brigade**

"Wake up Conan! You're gonna be late," Rachel called to them from the kitchen, her voice echoing in the hallway. They could hear Detective Moore's disgust as he attempted to ignore the human alarm clock.

"Oh would you be quiet? You don't need to wake me up too!"

"Just go back to sleep, Dad," Her voice was strong and instructive. Conan stirred, pulling himself out of his state of unconsciousness. He sat up, rubbing his eyes under the glasses that were never removed.

"Hmmm?" He crawled to the mat adjacent to him, where the female rested. The apartment was small enough without the extra resident and part of him missed the days before he had to share the room. But, if he was going to figure out where the child was from, he would have to keep her close for the time being. Jimmy shook the girl gently, "Amber, get up," She ignored him and covered her head with a pillow, blocking out the extra sound, "Come on Amber."

"I don't wanna," The whine was muffled from the extra material. Conan continued to shake her, yet the only thing he could accomplish was a slap on the wrist and the girl pulling more covers over her head.

"Get up before I drag you out of bed," It was the last thing the boy could think of as he grabbed her around the ankles. Protesting, she kicked him in the jaw. Jimmy touched the bruise gingerly and scowled as he moved to the long side of the bed, took the edge, and elevated it. Amber rolled off of the mattress onto the floor. She sat up and glared at him, clearly annoyed.

"Okay, I'm up," he looked triumphant as the aggravated Amber followed him down the stairs. The blonde took the seat at the table that was across from the boy. Rachel came up behind them, her voice much to chipper for the morning.

"So Conan, I hear that you're going with your friends to the museum," She sat down beside the kids. Jimmy Kudo looked up at her and nodded,

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I was thinking that it would be nice to include Amber," The girl looked up, hearing the familiar name. It would give her an excuse to look around town, and she may even enjoy it, once they looked at the artifacts and the history behind them. Her green eyes met Conan's blue, he seemed thoughtful; though, she was sure his motivation came from a desire to solve the case and be rid of her.

"Okay Rachel," He took Amber's hand while making his way to the door. It wasn't until they were outside before he allowed his fingers to loosen so that she could be released. They walked in silence for about fifteen minutes, only accompanied by the sound of automobiles humming and pedestrians passing by. The first words that the two heard were from a group of children about "their" age. His friends from school, she noted.

"Who's she Conan? That your girlfriend?"

He was the biggest and tallest of the group, his voice husky and powerful. Jimmy replied with a stern "No," Amber looked up at him and, feeling the need for a more detailed explanation, branched off of Conan's response.

"Technically I'm a friend that's a girl, not a girlfriend," George looked perplexed,

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"I'm a friend, who happens to be a girl," his expression did not change; she sighed in disbelief and swore that the boy in front of her was one of the thickest people she ever met, "You figure it out, think for yourself," Apparently the snide remark was not what George wanted to hear; he held up his fist menacingly.

"Why I outta," She squealed, ducking behind Conan as she did. The brunette wearing the aqua sweater crossed his arms.

"Yeah, scare her half to death George, then she'll wanna be our friend."

"So what's your name," Amy looked at her, a wide grin on her face, as if to welcome the blonde into the group. She was overly enthusiastic about the entire situation, but, if she accepted the blonde, then it was a guarantee that Mitch and George would as well.

"Amber,"

"So where do you live," Mitch looked at her, waiting for an answer. Slowly, she moved to the side, standing next to Conan, rather than using him as a shield. The blonde shrugged.

"I dunno," The three children looked confused; Mitch was the first to speak.

"Well, where are you staying," She flushed and starred at the ground while tightening her grip on Conan's arm. It wasn't that Amber was embarrassed, but, for an eight year old kid, Amy could be a little scary. And, if she knew that Amber was staying with _her_ crush, things could get a bit hectic.

"Erm, nowhere," Jimmy caught the George's expression and responded, answering his unasked question,

"Amber has amnesia, so she's staying with us for now,"

"What's amnesia?" Apparently the answer baffled George rather than gave him an understanding. He scratched his head, looking back and forth between Mitch and a furious Amy.

"It's a state of temporary or permanent forgetfulness; generally caused by a sharp strike to the head." Conan stared in shock and disbelief, mouth agape, at Amber's definition. How could a kid produce _that_ answer? She gazed into his blue eyes, totally and completely oblivious to what she had just done.

"Oh—THAT'S GREAT!"

"It is?" The blonde was confused by his enthusiasm. It seemed, out of place for such a tragic event, but she allowed him to continue.

"Yeah, it means we can solve it, like real detectives!" George grabbed her hand, dragging Amber behind him. She resisted as well as she could, but her light weight made it difficult. The girl looked at him and pleaded,

"Can't we just go to the museum?"

"Don't you want to find out why you lost your memory?" Mitch had spoken this time and, while George was pulling her, had followed close behind.

"No!" The group refused to take the answer. It had taken a sufficient amount of time to convince them to continue with their original plans. On top of that, it had also required both Amber and Conan. One to insist they went to the museum and the other to encourage them to let the "youngest" of the group decide the day's events. Reluctantly, they agreed.

They continued on their way and left for their destination, walking in the warm afternoon sunshine, and approached the air conditioned building where they spent the day with excitement and exploration along with sights that were accompanied by the children's cries of admiration. It was only during the last exhibit where the children were interrupted from their visitation by the means of a vibrant shriek.

"KITTY!" She ran towards Amber, hugging and tackling the blonde to the ground.

"Ah!" It was the only thing the blonde could do, cry in surprise as her closest friend flattened her like a pancake, crushing her rib cage in the tight embrace. She recognized everything, but mostly, the golden, curly hair that fell down the girl's shoulders. But, her clothes had changed, for Sindey was now wearing a sundress, like she always had when they were kids.

"You know her?" Amber shook her head, denying that she had ever met her companion.

"Never seen her before in my life," She smiled nervously as Synthia looked at her hurt and betrayed. The tears surfaced in her eyes and her bottom lip quivered.

"You don't remember me?"

"No, sorry, but I don't remember anything," the water seemed it would flow out of the blonde's earthy green orbs that always appeared to change their tone.

"But, we were in second grade together, remember," her voice was pleading, as if hoping to strike a nonexistent match. Amber shook her head. Sindey stared, mouth agape before her gaze shifted.

"Oh, JIMMY!" Conan paled, tensed, and then relaxed; realizing that she was the same girl he had ran into the night before, quite literally. And, as predicated from the previous evening, the curly haired blonde rushed past him and grabbed a brown cat on the floor. Amber took the opportunity and, looking at the group anxiously, grabbed her friend's hand.

"Now, I'm gonna explain to her why we don't know each other. So we're just gonna talk over there, alone, okay, bye," Her voice was shaking as she dragged Sindey behind a corner, isolating them from the group.

"Alright, you've got some explaining to do,"

"Umm," She giggled as the words spilled out of her mouth, "Well, first, there was a storm, and then we made a spell, and then we said it, and now we're here." It wasn't the right thing to say. Sindey glared at her.

"This isn't funny!"

"I know," Amber sulked, her voice was apologetic.

"What happened to 'What have we got to lose' or 'It's not like we're going to go into the T.V. or anything.'" They looked at each other, and the older one thought about the situation. To call the location a simple show would be an insult, characters don't interact with others, rather it was a planned story written by another person.

"Well, technically, I don't think we're in the T.V. just another world." It was the wrong thing to say.

"Technically, I DON'T CARE!" Amber flinched.

"I'm in trouble?" She didn't have to wait for the response; the blonde knew the answer before her friend gave it.

"You have no idea," Sindey grabbed Jimmy's tail, dragging him across the floor, heading towards the group. She had only crossed a few feet before stopping mid step. "Oh yeah, why don't you remember me?"

"Well, they kinda found me, and I kind of told them I have amnesia," Amber looked sheepish as she braced herself from Sindey's rage.

"You did what? Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Go to Dr. Agasa's and tell him you're lost?" Her hope was diminished as Sindey's fury continued to escalate.

"THAT'S-" She stopped, the anger melting away, "the best idea you've had so far,"

"So-o I'm not in trouble anymore?" Synthia continued walking, her feet stomping on the floor as she marched toward the group.

"Don't talk to me,"

"Okay," Amber looked at the ground as she followed her friend, sullenly returning to the tour.


	5. Chapter 5

**A Hunting We Will Go **

They finished their adventure within the building and left, entering the bright sunshine. Conan leading, followed by Amy, Mitch, and George, while Amber and Sindey trailed behind. Synthia's anger had decreased significantly, which Amber was thankful for. Then again, she really didn't understand why Sindey was upset in the first place. What they were practicing had been Wiccan magic, and that was based off of control of mental processes and manipulation of energies. Whatever magic had taken them here wasn't supposed to exist. But, it did.

"Now that was fun," Amy said.

"I've never seen so much gold before," Mitch exclaimed excitedly.

Jimmy Kudo turned toward the two children, looking over his shoulder.

"You know there are still lots of undiscovered treasures in the world and most of it's gold bullion."

Amber looked up, and her green eyes met his blue as she continued to trail behind the group.

"What's gold have to do with bowling?" Sweat drops trailed down Conan and Sindey's face. The girl concentrated, preventing the emotions of joy and fascination to be revealed when she realized you actually could see it here.

"Bullion Amber, not bowling," Her friend looked at her, wondering why whenever Amber met someone new she insisted to present herself as a complete idiot. Jimmy Kudo, on the other hand, had probably just decided to disregard anything she had said and would say in the future.

"It's a bar," he commented.

"I'm not old enough to go to a bar," Amber stated. Frustrated, Conan slapped his forehead. It was at that point that she decided messing with him had officially become her new favorite hobby. The other children were too young to understand, but Jimmy was also older than them, even though he didn't look like it.

"Bar as in brick, not alcohol."

"Why did you wait so long to tell us, why don't we go find this stuff?" George yelled as thrust his fist into the air dramatically. He stopped mid step as a bit of parchment fluttered by him. Carefully, he bent down to pick it up. "Huh? Did one of you drop this?"

"What did you find, George," Mitch asked as he stopped and looked over the taller boy's shoulder. Everyone turned to examine the sheet in his hand. A series of drawings trailed vertically down the side, one of them accompanied by the word oro.

"There are no words on it," Amy's comment was followed by another from Mitch.

"There are just a bunch of stupid pictures."

"Wait! What if it's some kind of treasure map?" The brunette girl raised her hands into the sky enthusiastically.

"A treasure map," George repeated.

Jimmy laughed thinking about the likelihood of the situation. It was also entertaining to see the excitement in the children even though the odds were highly unfavorable. What he hadn't realized was that Sindey and Amber lacked the energy that the rest of the group possessed.

"Yeah, that would be ironic." The detective said.

"Alright Conan, there's no need to use that kind of language around a lady," George snapped.

"You really should apologize," Mitch crossed his arms over his chest.

The detective smiled nervously as the children reprimanded him. Amber giggled, but couldn't help feeling a little sorry for Kudo. He looked so confused as his gaze darted between the two boys.

"But, I didn't say anything bad." Conan claimed. He kept his hands up as if to shield himself from their fist.

"Do either one of you know what ironic means?" Amber interrupted. George glared, defensively.

"No but it sounds bad."

Amber stared at them. How quickly eight year olds jumped to conclusions and assumed they knew everything, then again, teenagers weren't much better. She sighed and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. It felt like she was babysitting.

"That doesn't make it a bad word."

He was baffled. Who did this girl think she was? They remained in a stare down as the boy thought of a retort, _anything_ to prove that he was more intelligent than her.

"Then what does ironic mean?"

"A contrary outcome that occurs to what was actually expected or intended."

She smugly crossed her arms over her chest. Conan's jaw dropped as he stared at her, mouth agape in astonishment. The tallest boy's expression changed from dumbfounded to just plain angry while he registered the remark in his mind.

"Nobody asked you!"

"You did!" Amber could feel her temper rising. She didn't understand why _he_ was frustrated. Their eyes met and the tension could be felt by everyone around them. They began to argue and moved closer to the other with each remark.

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

The words burned with the intensity of fire.

"Nerd!"

"Moron!"

Their faces were nearly touching as the electrical shocks sparked between them.

"SHUT UP PIPSQUEAK!"

"WHY DON'T YOU MAKE ME YOU OVERSIZED GORILLA?"

Voices rose with each passing second. Mitch and Amy began to retreat behind Conan, afraid to be caught between them.

"**WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?**"

"**YOU HEARD ME!"**

"Will you two break it up?" Jimmy Kudo shouted that the top of his lungs, infuriated. They dropped their arms and obeyed his command, becoming silent. The children sat there; quiet now that the arguing was over.

"Well, is it a treasure map?" Mitch spoke up, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Maybe," Conan responded, shrugging.

Amber turned and looked over her shoulder as her mind began to tune the kids out. But, three men kept her from leaving reality. She raised her eyebrows when she saw them. Men in black, dressed in suits, hats, and sunglasses, it was anything but inconspicuous. The hair prickled on the back of her neck as she nudged her sister. Her eyes followed the direction of Amber's finger. Sindey bit her lip in apprehension, knowing the girl's unspoken concerns.

"What about all the pictures on it?" George asked.

"Pictures don't necessarily mean that it's a treasure map; it could just be someone's doodles," Jimmy explained, attempting to rationalize the situation. Amy ignored him.

"I think it's a treasure map." She declared thrilled.

"Me Too!" followed by George.

"So do I!" and again, by Mitch.

"I just don't think you should jump to any conclusions." And there was Detective Jimmy Kudo, trying to be the reasonable once again. There were times that got on her nerves. And shouldn't he have realized that the pictures were too organized and structured to be someone's doodles?

"Great, then we have our first assignment as the Jr. Detective League." The tallest of the boys exclaimed while ignoring Conan. Sindey turned being pulled from her thoughts. Amber rocked back and forth on her toes still pretending that she had no idea what was going on.

"Jr. Detective League?" The younger blonde turned to her closest friend, who shrugged. Collins had a wide smile spread across her face but her eyes were bright and focused.

"And I George, as your fearless captain, will lead us to the treasure, any objections?

"Not at all," Amy and Mitch responded together. Each of the blondes considered raising their hands but neither reacted to avoid the unneeded conflict. That, and Jimmy already had his hands full with Amber when she _wasn't_ trying to pick a fight.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Conan groaned as he slapped his forehead.

"Then off we go!" George took the lead, being the first to leave.

"Aye, Aye captain," His friends followed him, the three walking in a random direction. But, it wasn't long before they stopped and realized that they had no idea where they were headed. Sindey and Amber could feel the sweat running down the side of their head as Conan fell to the ground. Collins chuckled. Witnessing it in person was even better than seeing it on T.V.

"Why don't we start by looking at the map," Jimmy suggested after his recovery. He extended his hand offering to help.

"Uh, oh, oh yeah," George muttered, handing the paper over to him. He examined it, observing every detail before holding it toward the others so they could see the pictures.

"Now look at this symbol at the top of this page, doesn't it look like something familiar," Their faces lit up as they recognized the shape. Before long, three out of six of them were rushing toward the bus stop.

"I know that place," George shouted.

"Let's go," Amy called as she followed close behind, Conan sprinting to close the distance between them.

Amber and Sindey moaned as they followed in the back and tried to catch up. Together, they rounded the corner with the group, rushed down the street, reached their destination just in time, and quickly entered the vehicle taking seats in the very back. Amber panted as she sat down. She _hated_ running. It was hard on the legs and made it difficult to breathe. Why children felt they always had to do it, she had no idea.

"Ha ha! I knew from the start it had something to do with the Toe Tum tower," George claimed. Amber snorted.

"The treasure's as good as found, we'll be famous."

Jimmy laughed at Mitch's comment, a long, flat, and drawn out laugh. But his reaction was accurate. Most treasure would not be recorded on a map. Even if it was, the paper would decompose and be unreadable by the time it was recovered in present day. That would mean that the directions would have been drawn recently since Amy was currently looking at the parchment in her hand

"I wonder what these letters down here mean, there's O-R-O."

"Or maybe the map's in pictures because he couldn't spell." George suggested.

The blondes rolled their eyes him. If it was directions to gold no one would be stupid enough to put them in a legible letters. Otherwise, everyone would be after it. It would be possible that the oro was a different language. Ora in Spanish was gold, so it was very likely that a country near a Spanish speaking community used oro instead of ora. That left Portuguese, French, Italian, and German. Eliminate German, since the sound did not follow the tendencies of the language, and there were three possibilities.

"I think I know what it means," Mitch piped up. His facial features brightened immediately, "the first O is for the O in the word oodles, and the letter R as in the word rich, and the second O, is for the O in the word ore. O-R-O is just another way to say oodles of rich ore."

"Wow Mitch, I never knew you were such a puzzle solver," he blushed at Amy's admiration and rubbed the back of his neck proudly.

"I know a thing or two."

"That is not what oro translates into," Amber grumbled as she slapped her forehead. It was remarkable how gullible some people could be.

"No, but he has the right idea," Sindey giggled.

"No, he was _trying_ to make it fit, he didn't actually know."

Conan watched the girls as he listened to their conversation. He hadn't been paying much attention. That was until minutes later when the words began to sink in. That's when he took an interest and it began to intrigue him.

"Hey Amber-"

"-I'll tell you in the book store," she interrupted Jimmy and prevented him from finishing the question. He was about to push the matter further, asking about the supposed 'book store', but the detective dropped the subject. He didn't want Amber to revert back to the person she was earlier. The longer he could keep her in an intellectual mindset, the more he could discover about her.

"What are you gonna buy, Conan?" George laughed heartily. The three of them ended the private conversations that had been occurring without the other children knowing. They silently wondered how much of the previous conversation they had missed. At least they didn't have to ask.

"Nothing!" Jimmy responded, annoyed. He was losing his temper with the kids. Maybe because they had been over zealous about finding a piece of paper no bigger than a grocery list.

"Well I'm going to buy two pizzas from every pizza joint in town," George continued, too excited to listen.

"I'm gonna buy a plane and fly around the world," Amy continued and extended her arms as if she had become the aircraft.

"You do that, I'm gonna buy a rocket and fly to the moon," Mitch boasted.

"I'm going to hide so I don't get hurt when they crash," Amber stated while leaning closer to Sindey. She whispered and attempted to keep her voice down. Her friend nodded her head in agreement.

"Sounds good," Synthia added.

Unfortunately, they were too close to the others. Jimmy overheard, despite their attempts to keep the conversation between the two of them. He strained his ears in desperation to hear more. The detective wasn't sure what exactly was happening with them, but he knew they were different. But he didn't know how unusual the girls actually were.

"What about you, Conan?" Amy questioned him excitedly, leaning towards the boy. It interrupted his thoughts, lucky for the blondes, not as lucky for him.

"I guess I'll save it."

"You wouldn't want like books, or something," George pouted.

Apparently, he didn't appreciate Amy giving Conan all of the attention. Amber giggled at his ignorance. He had no idea how bad crushes could be once students left grade school. After middle school started, there was the gossip, the rumors, the jealousy, and the fear of rejection. Things were easier when everybody had cooties.

She turned around and looked out the window behind her as Conan muttered something about wanting taller shoes. What bothered her was that the men that had been at the museum where driving behind the bus. Once again, Amber felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. It was very suspicious, and not many people wore that style of clothing this time of year when it was fairly warm. The girl was positive that they were the one's she had seen earlier.

"They're still following us." She whispered under her breath.

"Who?" Sindey asked as she looked out the window. Amber pointed to the black car behind them. "You sure?"

The older of the two nodded as Synthia slid back down in the seat. Collins could feel her grip tighten on the back of the chair. Her stomach churned and she could feel her heart begin to race. She had a bad feeling, a very, very bad feeling.

The bus stopped and Amber felt her weight shift as she lost balance and fell on the floor. Conan stared but didn't say anything as she giggled nervously and stood on her feet. Maybe, the feeling was actually telling her to sit forward so she wouldn't land on her ass. It didn't matter. The rest of the group had begun standing up and moving to the closest exit. After they got off they walked down the street to the tower.

"This has got to be the starting point!" George declared.

"Now all we have to do now is break the code," Mitch announced.

"Umm, that's going to be hard because the only other thing I can recognize on this map is an umbrella." Amy said while looking at the piece of paper in her hand. Amber peered over her shoulder. She took the parchment and examined the shapes.

"Well, if it is a map, these are probably meant to symbolize specific locations," Collins explained while pointing at one of the individual pictures. Conan nodded his head, probably agreeing with her hypothesis. Amber smiled as she handed the paper back to Amy.

"Well that's it, that's the moon it's gotta be." George mentioned.

"The treasure's on the moon?" Amber inquired.

She could see the drop of sweat run down Sindey's head. It wasn't her fault. They had jumped from discussing locations to the moon. The group had set that one up. Amber just took advantage of the opportunity. Besides, Jimmy was going to catch on if she didn't keep the act up.

"No, the treasure is in that tower where you can see the moon just like it looks on the map." George corrected.

"The moon moves through so many positions at night and this map is way too simple to pin point something that exact." Mitch responded, laughing a little as he did.

The statement impressed her. He was right. The map _was_ too simple for that. There were also the other symbols on the paper to take into consideration. If the treasure was in the tower, there would be no point drawing the other pictures.

"Fine, then what's your genius idea," George whined. Apparently, he didn't think that way.

"Have you thought of anything yet, Conan?" Amy questioned as she leaned over his shoulder. Jimmy was examining the paper. He must have taken it while Mitch and George were busy with their conversation.

"Hmm, maybe you see what I'm thinking is that these strange drawings may represent actual things you can see," Kudo explained. He pointed to one of the symbols on the paper. "For example, this first thing kind off looks like a hat, the second symbol, could be underwear, and the third of course, is the umbrella." Conan hesitated as he examined the images on the paper. "What they all have in common is the question that's bugging me."

His voice trailed off as he became lost in thought. For someone who didn't believe it was a treasure map, he was very engrossed in the activity. But, that may have been because Jimmy saw it as a puzzle instead of a map.

The three children bowed their heads as they considered the possibilities. A strong gust of wind blew from the east. It forced Amber's long blonde hair over her shoulder causing the golden strands to tangle. She was quickly reminded why she had cut it as she subconsciously turned in the direction it had been taken.

"A clothing store!" They cried in unison.

The words barely fazed her.

"Well, we don't know that for sure." Conan mentioned as he tried to get them to settle down. It was too late. The three of them had already darted down to the end of street. "Hey, wait up." Jimmy whined. He was about to follow them. That was until he saw Amber staring at something further down the road. Sindey began walking in the direction Amy, Mitch, and George had gone. But the other girl appeared to be frozen in place, a living statue in the sea of pedestrians. "You okay," he asked as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Those men." she hesitated as she examined the scene. "I think they've been following us."

Conan followed the direction of her gaze. He saw them. They did seem suspicious, but dark clothing didn't necessarily mean that the group was in immediate danger.

"Probably nothing to worry about," Jimmy took Ambers hand as he pulled her away. "Come on, let's go."


End file.
